In An Instant
by BroodyBlondes4ever
Summary: I wish I had inhaled deeper when I pressed her body against mine. I wish I had kept my arms around her just a little bit longer, because that hug was different from all the others. That hug was our last. That was the last time we exchanged 'I love yous', and the last time she giggle after our Eskimo kisses. Those were our last moments, and they went by way too fast.
1. Tree Hill Tragedy

A/N: Eerything written in normal font is from Lucas' POV. If it's in italics, it's a flashback and in general POV. If it's bold, then it's from a new report.

 **"Good evening, this is Elaine Thompson reporting live from Tree Hill, North Carolina. I'm standing of the edge of the West Ridge Parkway…"**

I remember everything so clearly from that day…I can't forget a single detail. I remember the way her hair smelt when she ran and flew into my arms. The way she squirmed and the laughter that erupted from her small body.

 _Peyton stood in the corner, her back leaning comfortably against the doorway, a smile gracing her face._

 _"Mommy…mommy make him stop" she laughed along with her pleading daughter._

" _Sorry Cassie…" Peyton shrugged her shoulders as she spoke. Giggles echoed through the hallway as Lucas continued to tickle his daughter. Her face was beginning to turn a bright shade of red as she tried to get away. He stopped suddenly as the small blonde rested her head against his chest, panting heavily._

 _"How much do you love me" He raised a brow, his infamous smirk plastered on his face. He watched her spread her arms as wide as she could, her head tilting back slightly as she attempted to spread them more._

 _"This much" She put one last effort into stretching her arms before she flung them around her father's neck, burying her head on his shoulder._

 _"Well that's good to know…'cause I love you that much too" he kissed the side of her head gently as he felt her arms wrap just a little tighter. His attention was drawn away from the girl in his arms and down to the one that was tugging gently on his pant leg._

 _"Wha bout me?" the young child's voice was small and Lucas didn't hesitate to lift her into his arms as well. Her blue eyes never left his, everyone knew she was going to be gorgeous when she got older…dark brown hair and striking blue-grey eyes._

 _"Don't you worry Drea…I love you that much too" her head found comfort on his other shoulder, a content smile playing on her lips._

 _"And me…" he watched Peyton saunter over to him, a mock pout forming. He looked towards the ceiling, pretending to give her question serious thought._

 _"Hmmm…I guess I love you too…" she scoffed as she came to stand in front of him her hands placed firmly on her hips. "Peyton…" she turned her head away from him as he took a step closer, causing the distance between them to vanish. He leaned in, kissing her temple quickly before lowering his lips to her ear, keeping his voice low. "I can't exactly pick you up too…at least not right now…" she turned her head back to face him, a smile breaking through as she eyed him carefully. "But I promise to make it up to you later"_

 _"Really" she raised a brow and watched him as he raised both of his. "Okay…I'm holding you to that one" She leaned up and pressed her lips against his briefly. She pulled back just on time to catch Andrea yawn._

 _"Uh-oh…looks like it's time for someone's nap" Lucas kissed his daughters forehead before he let Peyton take the toddler into her arms._

 _"But I'm not sweepy" Peyton laughed gently as she watched Drea fight to keep her eyes open._

 _"I know you're not 'sweepy'…but mommy just wants you to lie down with her for a while…okay?"_

 _"Kay…" Peyton watched the small brunette nod her head before leaning against her mother's shoulder. The blonde threw a warm smile over her shoulder before she disappeared into the bedroom, her daughter losing the battle against sleep before she even got to the bed._

 **"It's been a 15 years since tragedy has struck Tree Hill in the form of a school shooting…"**

I always assumed that people were only supposed to go through one extreme tragedy in their life. I understand that it's devastating whenever you lose anyone in your life, all deaths could be considered tragedy's. But by tragedy I mean an event that's completely unbelievable… something that's so devastating, you never forget a moment of it, any detail, something that stays with you for the rest of your life and that can still make your stomach turn after years have passed, that can still drain the color from you face with a single thought.

I thought my one was the day Jimmy Edwards brought a gun to school, the day one of my old friend was accused of shooting one of my best friends, killing the uncle I always considered a father, and then turning the gun on himself. That was the day that changed my life, changed the way I viewed life, altered my perception of everything around me. I never would've of thought I could have another event like that happen in my life…an event more devastating, more painful then anything I ever could have imagined, something that my worst nightmares couldn't even touch.

 _"So are you ready princess" Brooke kneeled down in front of her goddaughter, her white dress pooling around her feet. Cassie nodded happily as she held the basket of rose petals in her small hands. The brunette turned to the youngest Scott and raised one of her perfectly shaped brows. "What about you?"_

 _"Yup" The grin on Andrea's face caused her eyes to light up. Brooke handed the toddler her own basket before standing back up to her full height._

 _"I can't believe you two are finally tying the knot" Haley gushed in her lavender bridesmaid dress. Brooke couldn't help but smile as she turned to face her two friends._

 _"So how does it feel…in less than an hour you're going to be Mrs. Jake Jagelski" Peyton watched her best friend's eyes light up as soon as the words left her mouth._

 _"I'm really excited…and really nervous all at the same time…I mean I can't wait to walk down the isle, but a part of me is dying to run away and hide in my bed" Brooke rolled her eyes as she sat on the bench for the vanity._

 _"Brooke don't worry…I felt the same way on my wedding day…both of them." All three girls gave a small laugh. Peyton rested her hand gently on Brooke's shoulder._

 _"Davis you're supposed to feel like that…it's normal. The hardest part is taking that first step down the isle and after that…I guess you just get caught up in the moment and everything becomes smooth sailing" The blonde reassured her friends and was glad to see the nervous brunette nod in response._

 _"Knock knock.." The three woman turned towards the door to see Lucas slowly sticking his head through the door._

 _"Hey you" Peyton walked over to him and kissed him lightly._

 _"Hey Luke" he turned his attention from Peyton to the dazzling brunette that was getting to her feet and straitening out her dress._

 _"Brooke…you look gorgeous" he said genuinely, earning a smile from the giddy bride._

 _"Thanks…you don't look so bad yourself…your husband did always clean up nicely." The three girls laughed as Lucas rolled his eyes._

 _"Thanks I guess…anyway I just came to tell you that Jake is at the alter, ready and waiting, and we walk in 5."_

 _"You ready Aunt Brooke?" Brooke turned to face the smiling blonde…a miniature version of her mother, only getting the crystal blue eyes from her father. Brooke kneeled down and winked at her goddaughter._

 _"You bet I am Cass" Brooke poked her nose lightly before standing back up. "Let's do this"_

There's no forgetting the cheeriness in her voice…or the ecstatic look on her voice when we walked out of the room. The smile stayed on her face throughout the entire ceremony. We all had stayed smiling, we didn't have a reason not to. From watching my two precious girls walk down the isle, dropping petals on the red velvet carpet, to watching Nathan and Haley's youngest son Brandon strolling coolly towards the alter, enjoying his important role as ring bearer. I played my part as best man, Peyton as the matron of honor, both of us watching as our best friends enjoyed the happiest day of their lives…or what should have been.

 **"…a dream wedding quickly becoming a nightmare, as what was thought to be a perfect night takes a sudden and unexpected turn for the worst."**

Sudden and unexpected. Those words can't even begin to describe what it was like. The words sound too…calm, nice…peaceful. But that's not what bothers me. The thing is, those words sound too painless to describe the "tragic" event that just destroyed my perfect world. The event that caused the night to take a shattering, gruesome, heartbreaking turn for the worst. An event that crippled me and the people around me.

 _He spun around quickly, causing his youngest to giggle as she kept herself balanced on her feet. "Daddy…do it agin" Drea shrieked twice…once during her request and then again when Lucas granted her request. Lucas smiled down at the precious toddler that had somehow managed to keep herself awake past 11:00 pm. Through the corner of his eye he caught sight of his eldest being twirled and then dipped by her uncle._

 _Nathan pulled the blonde back up to a standing position before grabbing her hand in his, her other hand on his waist and his on her shoulder. "So…did you have fun today" he watched her nod with a smile. "What do you say to ice cream at the park with me and Jason" All boys her age were disgusting…except for her cousin. Aside from Cassie, Jason firmly believed all girls had cooties. Born 5 months apart the two kids had remained inseparable since they were toddlers and truly able to remember people other than their parents._

 _"Okay" she gave a wide smile which was immediately followed by a yawn. The blonde rested her head comfortably against her uncle's stomach._

 **"…59 Year old Charles Bennet was killed instantly"**

 _"What's up Luke…you look all… dazed and confused…what's got you in your own little world?" The eldest Scott had been sitting at the table with his head buried in his hands. Brooke, who had changed into a form fitting strapless red dress, had broken him from his thoughts when she laid a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and sighed._

 _"It's nothing" he shook his head before dropping his head back in his hands._

 _"Doesn't look like nothing…" the brunette frowned as she took a seat next to the brooding blonde._

 _"What's going on over here" Peyton and Jake approached the two at the table, Peyton resting her hands gently on her husband's tense shoulders._

 _"I was watching Runaway Jury on TV the other night…and Cass likes the song that the dad was singing in the begin.."_

 _"Wait…you let her watch that movie" Peyton bent down and cocked an eyebrow once she had caught her husband's eye._

 _"I thought she was sleeping" he shrugged as Peyton rolled her eyes before hitting him in the back of the head softly._

 _"Uh-oh…looks like someone's in trouble" Lucas looked to his left to see his brother smirking with his arm around Haley's waist._

 _"Shut up" Lucas said with a roll of his eyes. "Anyway…" he turned back to face Brooke. "I told her earlier I would sign the song for her before she went to sleep" his eyes drifted over to the dance floor where his two girls and Nathan and Haley's three seemed to be having the time of their lives._

 _"Lemme guess…you can't remember how it goes" Peyton couldn't help but laugh at the guilty expression on his face._

 _"My mom used to sing that song to me too when I was little…and I just can't get past the first few words…"_

 _"Okay…I'm sure the six of us can figure it out somehow…what's the first line again…" Brooke encouraged as she waited for him to start singing._

 _"Okay…umm…Oh the buzzing…" he stopped…his mind just wouldn't allow him to remember._

 _"of the bees" Jake continued as Lucas looked up at him with a smile._

 _"In the cigarette trees" It was Nathan who sung out the next line…earning a look from everyone around him. "what…I always thought that line just didn't really fit…and I always remember it."_

 _"You would" Haley said with a roll of her eyes as everyone else laughed._

 _"Okay so…the buzzing of the bees, in the cigarette trees…" Brooke let the last word hang waiting for someone to continue._

 _"Near the soda water fountain" Peyton filled in with a smile. She winked at Lucas when she felt him grab her hand and give it a gentle squeeze._

 _"At the lemonade springs" Haley continued as she suddenly recalled the words to the song she had heard Karen sing more than once._

 _"Where the bluebird sings" Lucas added with a thankful smile on his face, glad that he would be able to keep his promise to his daughter._

 _"On the big rock candy mountain." The six of them finished together, each of them laughing at the fact that it took six adults to recall a child song._

 _"Thanks you guys" Lucas looked around the group._

 _"No problem…now get the hell up and lets go have some fun…I was the queen of the party scene…you don't think I'm just gunna sit around at my own wedding reception." She stuck her tongue out before grabbing Jake's hand and pulling him out onto the dance floor._

I can still hear her screams echoing through the street, slicing through the silence. The sound of the sirens drowning out her horrified pleas for help. The blue and red lights that swirled throughout the air turning the shedding unwanted light on the ugly scene.

The headlines that followed for days, talking about the event that even made the usually cold and composed newscasters emotional.

 **"Tree Hill tragedy…the quaint little town has once again become somber… heartbreak for the Scott and Bennet family"**

I can see my brother's face clearly in my head. The shock, the pain…worry and confusion…all etched in his features. But the look that will always stay with me - the moment our eyes connected and his normally happy brown eyes reflected nothing but heartbreak and sorrow, the moment I knew things were worse than I thought because our eyes only connected for a second, and after that he refused to look at me. No matter how many times I tried to get his attention, to get him to tell me, he wouldn't look me in the eye anymore.

 _"You know I haven't seen you drink anything other than water tonight…" Brooke broke eye contact with Jake and looked over her shoulder at Nathan._

 _"That's because someone doesn't know how to tell their boss no" It was Haley who responded with her eyebrow cocked up as she looked at her husband._

 _"That's 'cause I'm leaving in half on hour…I'm on call tonight."_

 **"…first on scene"**

I don't know what it was like for him, to drive up and see the wreck…that must have been bad enough. To run and check inside and find all of us. Then to stand up and see her on the side of the road. To not be able to do anything but wait for help to come. To have what was minutes seem likes hours. How do you sit back and watch helplessly.

 _"Congrats again you two…" Haley wrapped her arms around Brooke as the group stood outside the reception hall._

 _"Thanks Tutor wife…but I have question…is Coop gunna be able to handle all three of your rambunctious boys for the night?" The two brunettes laughed as Haley shrugged her shoulders._

 _"He's watched two of them before…of coarse they were younger then and didn't argue nearly as much…but I'm sure he'll be okay…at least I hope so…" the petite brunette bit her bottom lip as thought about Cooper trying to stay in control of all three boys._

 _"Hey…if he gets in too much trouble I'm sure Deb will help him out." Brooke winked at her friend._

 _"Have fun Tigger" Haley winked back before turning to Jake and hugging him as well._

 _"Thanks for coming…"_

 _"One I was in the wedding party…and two, I wouldn't miss this for the world Jagelski" Haley smirked as she pulled away, hitting him on the arm lightly. He watched as she climbed into the limo, already occupied by Karen and Andy, who had finally returned to Tree Hill 5 years ago, the two taking it slow in their blossoming relationship._

 _"Well best friend…welcome to world of married life"_

 _"You seem to enjoy it P. Sawyer" The blonde hit her arm playfully._

 _"I can't deny it" she threw a glance over her shoulder and smiled at Lucas. He looked up from playing with Cassie and Andrea, and he gladly returned her gesture._

 _"So this feeling…the happiness…it doesn't just disappear after today" Brooke was hesitant with her question…she never wanted to lose the feeling she had at that moment._

 _"Lucas and I have had our problems…we've argued and everything…but as long as you don't ignore the issues and you actually sit down and talk about whatever's wrong…no the feelings won't go away, and in the end all those problems just make you stronger." The words brought a smile to the brunettes face, and she quickly through her arms around her best friend. Peyton pulled away and offered one last smile at her friends before retreating into the limo. Lucas and the girls had already gotten in, so after one final wave the driver shut the door and retreated to the other side of the limo._

 _The newlyweds watched as the limo took off, both with a content smile. "Have I told you how much I love you today?" Jake turned to look down at his wife._

 _"I'm sure you have…but it never hurts to hear it again" Brooke whispered as she wrapped her arms around her neck…the day couldn't have gone more smoothly…just as her best friend has promised…everything went perfectly._

 **"…a perfect night ends tragically…"**

It just all happened so fast. One minute everything was normal…Cassie tucked under my arm, Drea on Peyton's lap, my mother and Andy chatting away happily, Haley and Peyton talking lightly. Then it all changed. It didn't get chaotic. It just changed…more than any of us could have imagined.

 _"Ohh…the buzzing of the bees in the cigarette trees, near the soda water fountain, at the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings, on the big rock candy mountain" Lucas dropped kiss on his daughters head as she sat next to him, his arm draped over her small shoulders. He glanced to the side and caught his wife's eye…she was smiling at him…at him being an excellent father to their first born._

 _The talking ceased when they heard Charlie swear from the front. Before any of them had the chance to turn their heads, the seven passengers were being thrown from their seats, the impact from the collision sending Lucas flying from the rear of the limo all the way to the front, his body dropping next to Haley's._

It was like a bomb went off and then…I don't know what happened after that. I keep trying to remember, but I can't. I closed my eyes and suddenly there was glass everywhere, twisted pieces of metal sticking out…one piece protruding from Haley's stomach. That's the first thing I remember after being thrown out of my seat. Maybe there was nothing to remember after that point…maybe it really did just happen that fast.

 _Peyton's legs were crushed under bodies and metal, but she was slowly pulling herself away from it all. She had seen Cassie fly out the window. The pain didn't matter to her anymore. She could hear Andrea screaming from somewhere inside, so for now that only thing that mattered was finding Cassie, making sure her other daughter was okay._

I had watched her crawl. Watched her drag her body from the twisted remains of the wreck. I can still hear her piercing scream when she got out of the limo. I tired to call out to her, but I couldn't find my voice. No matter how hard I attempted to scream, nothing came out. I had flown straight ahead…but Cassie…she flew in a different direction. Away from me…away from all of us.

 **"Good evening, this is Elaine Thompson reporting live from Tree Hill, North Carolina. I'm standing of the edge of the West Ridge Parkway, where a perfect day has suddenly turned tragic. Here behind me is what remains of a collision between a limousine and pick-up truck. Twenty-six year old Gregory Stanford, who blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit, was going 75 miles an hour in the wrong direction when his truck drove head on into a limo, which was carrying 7 family members home from a wedding reception. Driver Charles Bennet was killed instantly. Ironically, Bennet was known for picking up intoxicated people and bringing them home free of charge. But the real tragedy was the death of 7 year old Cassie Lyn Scott. The young girl who had just been a flower girl at her godmother's wedding, was thrown from the limo, her body decapitated. Officer Nathan Scott was the first to arrive on the scene. Officer Scott was Cassie's uncle, and husband to one of the victims. Scott arrived on the scene and looked inside the limo to see his family, and when he thought it couldn't get any worse, he turned to see his sister-in-law sitting on the curb, cradling what was left of her daughter.**

Nathan had to give a report on when he saw when he arrived. He gave vivid details on everything, everything except Peyton sitting on the side of the parkway. He won't talk about it, I didn't even know that it had happened until I was in the hospital and I watched the news. No one had told me how Cassie died…or why Peyton was in shock and hadn't spoken to anyone in three days. I didn't see what she did. I didn't spend an hour holding my daughter's…her…holding her severed head. I didn't see any of it, but Peyton did…she saw it all.

 **Cassie's father Lucas Scott remains in the hospital with a broken leg, her mother being treated for extensive shock. Haley Scott is in stable condition after her stomach was penetrated by a piece of metal, while Karen Roe and Andy Hargrove both remain in critical condition.**

Drea and Peyton were both okay…physically okay. But my other little girl…my first born…my pride and joy…she was stolen from me, ripped out of our lives in the blink of an eye. How do you go on your honeymoon after this…you don't. Jake and Brooke were the first ones to show up at the hospital, and Brooke hasn't left Peyton's side in the three days that we've been here. Jake had to go home and bring her a change of clothes because she refused to leave her best friend, unless it was to check on the rest of us. But she's only done that once. She can't bear to walk away from distraught girl she was used to seeing with a smile. I didn't see Peyton the first night, they wouldn't let me leave the bed and she wouldn't come to me. I'm not sure if she really has to will to make herself move. Cooper offered to keep Drea for us, but Peyton simply latched onto her hand…not saying a word but indicating a no. Even if Peyton hadn't responded, I wouldn't have let Drea out of my sight.

It was on the fourth day that Peyton and I were both released. We walked into the house and everything was eerily calm…quiet. "Daddy I'm hungry" I looked down at the brunette in my arms and pulled her close to me. She's too young to understand this, to grasp what happened to her sister.

I glance at Peyton as she ascends the stairs. I have a feeling where she's going… Cassie's room. Jake and Brooke watch her too, and then they turn to meet my gaze. The smiles I remember so clearly from just a few days ago are nowhere to be found. How do you celebrate your wedding anniversary after this, knowing that the same day that brought you such joy brought others pain. I wish I knew they would be happy, but I don't know that. I don't know that everything's going to be okay, if my family is ever going to be stable again, because right now all of us are falling apart. Eexcept for the little brunette in my arms who only knows that her arm keeps hurting…that mommy's sad…and that Cassie didn't come home with us.


	2. Maybe

A/N: The first chapter of the story was based on an accident that occurred in Long Island back in 2005. The family was leaving a wedding when a pick-up truck collided with the limo, killing the limo driver and the 7 year old flower girl inside. The remainder of this story is purely fiction and deals with how both the nuclear and extended familis deal with the grief.

* * *

There was no wake. The family didn't want it…Peyton wouldn't allow it. So there was just a funeral…a small and closed off funeral that was for immediate family only and a few close friends. But three members of that family were still in that hospital. Karen was moved out of the ICU and onto a regular floor, but Andy and Haley…they were still fighting for their lives.

Peyton had watched as they lowered the small casket into the ground, Andrea in her lap and Lucas gripping her hand tightly. Tears fell silently from his eyes, but Peyton remained eerily calm through the entire funeral. She had the antidepressant and sedative to thank for that…they were the reason she wasn't clinging to the casket…cursing the men that were burying her child. How did she know what she would do without the drugs…she knew because she desperately wanted to lunged at the two men, shoo them away from her child that they were about to put six feet underground…but the sedative wouldn't allow her to do any such thing. So she sat there, and watched helplessly as two people she didn't know gave her no choice but to say goodbye to her daughter.

Lucas pulled her body into his, her head falling into place on his shoulder. It was odd to see her without tears, but he understood why. His eyes shifted to his daughter, even she was crying…crying for her lost playmate….for her lost source of comfort when mommy and daddy got into a fight…for the sister that was there one minute and gone the next. She didn't understand it, but she knew something was wrong. She knew everyone was sad, that she hadn't seen her grandparents since she last saw Cassie…that Aunt Haley, who always came to the house on Saturday morning, wasn't there when she ran down the steps. She knew Aunt Brooke had been spending a lot of time around the house…with her mom…that that two of them were always crying, that daddy had been busy making phone calls, or arrangements, as she had heard him say once…that Uncle Jake had to help him make the calls because daddy would get upset and cry…and he never cried, but her had been crying a lot lately. All the adults around her had been crying a lot, even Uncle Nathan who was always smiling and acting silly…he tried to smile for her, but she could still see the tears glistening in his eyes. Everything was just different.

It was as they walked somberly across the moist grass that the sedative started the wear off…and that was when the first tears slid down her pale cheek…but no one would know that, not with the black veil covering her face. She gripped her daughters hand tightly as they walked to the car. Jake had driven, none of them comfortable with the idea of getting into another limo, and Lucas not stable enough to get behind the wheel.

There was no reception afterwards…the only people in the Scott residence were the same people who had been there for the past week, with the addition of Cooper and Deb. Nathan had left to go see Haley, leaving Brandon to play with Drea, but taking Jason and Kyle. At thirteen, Kyle just wanted to see his mother, but Nathan took Jason simply to get the young boy's mind off his cousin…his best friend. The normally talkative boy had grown quiet after being told about the accident. Cassie was the only one he could tell any and everything to…he had another best friend, but he wasn't Cass…no one would ever be his cousin.

While Drea and Brandon played in the yard with Jake, the rest of the group made small talk on the deck. Cooper had barbequed in an attempt to make the afternoon seem somewhat normal. The meal started silently, someone occasionally making stupid and pointless comments, anything to cut through the thick tension that loomed in the air.

"Daddy…" Lucas looked away from the food he had barley touched and down at the small brunette who was no standing next to him.

"Yeah…"

"Do you member when Cassie spwayed the hose on the swide and I got to go down it?" Her eyes were sparkling as a smile played on his lips.

"Yeah I remember" Lucas wore a sad smile as he responded to his daughter.

"Can me and Uncle Jake show Brandon?" The pain was evident on Luke's face but he ignored the tearing in his heart as he leaned down and gently kissed Andrea's forehead.

"Of course you can sweetie?" He watched he run back down the steps, grabbing the hose when she reached the bottom, and dragging it over to the swing set.

"I remember that day" Lucas turned to face Brooke who was now wearing a nostalgic smile of her own. "They played on that thing for hours…and you actually stood there the entire time holding that hose for them. God…you spoil them so much" tears glistened in her brown eyes as she recalled the incident from barley a month ago.

"Spoiled" the entire table turned to look at Peyton, the mother who had barley said three words all day.

"What…" Brooke questioned, not really hearing what her friend said.

"Spoiled…he spoiled them…he spoiled her" her voice was hoarse, her words seeming better, but her tone telling a different story…her tone relayed pain.

"Peyton…" the brunette next to her frowned, cursing herself for her word choice. "I didn't mean…"

"I know…" Peyton cut her off as she grabbed her best friend's hand. "I'm sorry…" she bit back tears as Brooke pulled her in for a tight and much needed hug. "That was a good day." Her voice cracked with the words. The sound of the doorbell interrupted the sentimental moment, causing them all to turn their heads, wondering who would be stopping by now. The blonde stood from her seat, pulling herself out of Brooke's arms.

"Peyton I'll get it…" Deb responded as she began to stand herself.

"No…it's okay…" She started to walk away but stopped when she felt Lucas grab her wrist. She turned back to him and found a questioning look on his face. "Really…it's fine" she reassured him before walking back into the house. She needed to get away for a moment…and answering the door gave her an opportunity to do just that. She approached the door slowly…she didn't really want to face anyone…but she had offered to get the door and if she didn't answer it the person was bound to keep trying. Her thin fingers grabbed the knob and turned it slowly before pulling the door open. She frowned upon seeing an older woman with light brown hair.

"Can I help you" the confusion was evident on Peyton's face as she waited for an answer.

"Mrs. Scott…" the woman questioned…Peyton raising her eyebrows in response.

"Yes…"

"Hi…I'm Mrs. Stanford..." Peyton's arms instinctively crossed over her stomach.

"I'm sorry…who…"

"Gregory's mother…" Peyton's face instantly hardened. "He was the one…"

"I know who your son is…" Her voice had grown cold at the mention of his name. "What could I possible do for you?"

"I wanted to apologize to your family…to you for…what happened. It was a very unfortunate situ…"

"Unfortunate…" the blonde's eyes were no longer sad…her hazel eyes were filled with anger.

"Mrs. Scott…"

"Your son got drunk and decided it was okay to speed down the highway…I don't know…maybe he thought it cool to drive down the wrong side of the road…or maybe he was just to trashed to realize what the hell was going on…either way…none of it was unfortunate…it was murder."

"I'm not trying to defend my son's actions…I know how wrong he was…that's why I'm here to apologize"

"You could have done that with a phone call…and if you wanted to do it face to face, then you could have waited for the hearing…how dare you come to my house on the day of my child's funeral…"

"I didn't know" the woman closed her eyes tightly…she honestly hadn't known what had happened that morning. But an apology wasn't all she was there for…Peyton could read that through her eyes.

"Why are you really here…" the blonde glared at the woman in front of her. An apology might have been part of it, but the hesitance in the woman's voice told her there was more.

"I did come here to apologize…"

"Yeah…but for what else"

"I know Greg was wrong…"

"…unbelievable…" she scuffed as she turned her head to side, her arms uncrossing as she ran a hand through her curls. "…but what…"

"…Mrs. Scott, my son is all I have…all I'm asking is that you don't request the death penalty…"

"How dare you…you come to my home and ask favors of me…favors to help the man that killed Cassie."

"My son…my child…you're a mother…" the woman pleaded.

"Yes I am a mother…and your child killed mine…what would you do if someone murdered your precious son…and then some woman appeared on you doorstep making pleading for the person responsible."

"I would understand"

"That's a load of crap and you know it" he voice was getting louder now…but she didn't care, anger was coursing through her veins…anger for the woman standing in front of her.

"Mrs. Scott…he's my only child…" Peyton's eyes widened as Mrs. Stanford cut her statement short…both of them knew what she was about to say. The older woman cursed herself for letting that slip out of her mouth…she never meant to say that…she had just been so desperate to save her son…she didn't know what she would do if she had to watch him die.

Peyton closed her eyes tightly, anything to calm her nerves. "I'm sorry…I truly am…but condemning my son to death is not going to bring your daughter back …it won't even any scores…it won't make things feel more justified or fair…"

"You wanna talk about fair…" Peyton cut the woman off…her voice low and bitter, her eyes cold. She ignored the feeling of a hand on her back.

"Peyton…" Lucas voice rang through her eyes but she didn't take her eyes off the woman in front of her. Lucas could see the distant look in his wife's eyes and the tears sliding down the unknown woman's cheeks. "What's going on…" he questioned as he looked between them…he had heard Peyton screaming moments ago…heard this other woman talking about something not being fair.

"How is it fair that your son comes out of this with broken ankle…and my daughter comes out of this decapitated…how is it fair that your son is the cause of all this…and he lived while my seven year old daughter dies" the words came through gritted teeth. Tears now streaked down the blondes face as Lucas gripped her shoulder tightly, pulling her body into his. He knew why she was yelling now…he knew who the woman was.

"Mrs. Scott…"

"Don't…I don't know why you're here…and I can't say that I really care. Just get off my property." Lucas now held the same icy stare that his wife had moments ago…Peyton didn't need this…neither did he…this was hard enough already. He watched the woman turn around to leave…she was halfway down the walk away when Peyton pulled away from him.

"Mrs. Stanford…" Peyton's voice caused the woman to turn around. "I'm not going to request the death penalty for your son…I know nothing is going to bring my daughter back…but I won't sit back and watch someone stick a needle in your son's arm so that he can just go to sleep and never wake up again…I want him to spend the rest of his natural life in a cell…I want him to pay for what he did to our daughter…and the death penalty won't do that." The blonde shook her head before spinning on her heal and retreating back into the house.

"Peyton…" the blonde ignored her best fried as she continued down the hall, leaving the brunette standing there confused and worried. Brooke watched Lucas close the front door before turning to face her.

"That was Mrs. Stanford…" he watched as I look of shock appeared on the brunette's face. "Don't ask" he quickly said as soon as she opened her mouth. Brooke pursed her lips together tightly as she inhaled deeply. She watched Lucas walk past her, leaving her to stare between the kitchen where two of her closet friends had just gone and the front door where an unwelcome woman had just left from. She didn't know what had happened, but she knew better than to ask right now, so she pushed it to the back of her mind and followed the two blondes back out onto the patio…maybe if they could just get through the day things would be okay…maybe.


End file.
